Flashlight tester



Sept. 26, 1939. E, wAsSEL 2,174,484

FLASHLIGHT TESTER Filed March 28, 1958 WITNESS UNITED 'STATES PATENT oFFlcE msnucn'r 'rEs'rEa Edward wassen, Amsterdam, N. Y.

Appummn Maren 2s, 193s, semi No. 198.609 1 claim. (cl. ris-lss) This invention relates to ilashlight testers and has for an object to provide a novel screw cap adapted to be substituted for the conventional end closure cap of the battery compartment of a conventional flashlight, the screw cap having an insulating disc which insulates the conventional battery supporting Ahelical spring of the flashlight from the cap, and having two exposed terminals, one of which is stationary and is electrically conl0 hected to the spring and insulated from the cap, `and the other of which is a wire loop pivoted in bearings on the cap and electrically connected to the cap, the wire loop being engageable with the stationary terminal to form a part of the convenl6 tional circuit of the flashlight, and being releasable from the stationary terminal to coact with the stationary terminal in connecting the circuit to be tested in series with the flashlight circuit.

A further object of the invention is tov provide a device of this character which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to y within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification: l

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional flashlight equipped with a screw cap 'forming a circuit closer in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the flashlight 'cap shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of the cap showing one of the test terminals connected to the conventional spring which holds the battery in place.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view ofthe cap taken on the line I-4 of Figure 2.

Referring now to 'the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, III designates a conventional ashlight, I'I the ilashlight battery, I2 the ilashlight spring which holds the battery in place.

The invention provides a metal screw cap I3 which is adapted to be substituted for the conventional screw cap which holds the spring I2 in place.- The screw cap is provided with an insulat- 55 ing disc Il which contacts' with the bottom wall of `circuit wires are in good working order.

the cap, and insulates the spring I2 from the cap.

A screw I5 is passed through the insulating disc' and the bottom wall of the cap and is insulated from the bottom wall of the cap by an insulating washer I6. Inside of the cap the screw is provided 5 with a perforated head I1 through which the end of the largest convolution of the spring I2 is passed, as best shown in Figure 3. 'I'he spring may be soldered to the head as shown at I8 to form a good electrical connection with the screw. i0 A nut I9, of circular contour, is threaded on to the screw, as best shown in Figure 2. The screw forms an exposed stationary test terminal.

A spring wire loop 20 is provided at the ends of its legs with outturned extremities 2| which are in l5 good electrical contact with the cap and are pivotally mounted in openings formed in opposed hollow bearings 22 on the bottom wall of the cap. The inner sides of the bearings are grooved, as shown at 23 in Figure 4 so that the loop may be 20 sprung into the grooves to contact with the nut I! and form a part of the flash light circuit which is controlled in the usual manner by the conventional fiashlight switch 9. The bearings are provided with notches 24 to receive the wire loop 25 when it is swung out of engagement with the screw to form a carrying ring or to form atest terminal which coacts with the stationary test terminal I5 in connecting the circuit to be tested in series with the ashlight circuit. 30

When the wire loop 20 is sprung out of the l grooves 23 it may be rocked outwardly from the cap to coact with the nut I9 in forming acircuit closer between terminals 24 to which circuit wires 25 are connected for determining whether the 35 When the switch 9 is closed if the circuit wires undergoing test are in good working order the flashlight circuit will be closed and the flashlight bulb will glow. If the circuit wires are broken the a'sh- 40 .light circuit will remain open and the ilashlight bulb will not glow.

From the above description it is .thought that the construction and operationl oLthe invention is fully understood'without further explanation. 45

What, is claimed is A ilashlight tester cap adapted to lclose the end of a conventional iiashiight casing opposite the ilashlight bulb, an insulating disc disposed within the cap in contact with the bottom wall of the cap, 50

a helical spring adapted to be interposed between the bottom cell oi the ashlight and said insulating disc, a pin connected to the spring and carried by and projecting through the bottom of the cap, means insulating the pin from the cap, bearings projecting from the bottom wall of the cap and having grooves parallel with the bottom wall of the cap, and a spring wire loop electrically connected to the cap and pivoted at the ends to said bearings, said loop being engageable in said grooves with spring action to engage said pin to close the ashlight circuit, said loop when rocked to open position coacting with said pin in forming circuit closers through the medium of which circuits, bulbs and fuses to be tested may be connected in series with the flashlight circuit.

EDWARD WASSEL. 

